Hardrock 100-Mile Endurance Run Preview

The Hardrock 100 Mile kicks off tomorrow at 6 a.m. in Silverton, Colorado, and Diana Finkel (pictured above) will be looking to continue her dominance of the brutal course through the San Juan Mountains.

“I love the San Juans and I love the Hardrock course,” says Finkel, who lives in South Fork, Colorado. Finkel has been the first female across the line for the past four years, and nearly won outright in 2010. Quite humble in her victories, she says, “I have been lucky enough to have some good days out there. As for HR 2012, I hope to have fun, enjoy the trails and feel decent most of the time ... if at all possible.”

Finkel, who also set the women’s course record in 2009 (27:18:24), notched wins this year at New Mexico's Jemez Mountain 50 Mile and Colorado's Sage Burner 50K in May. She continues, “You never know what the day brings so it's tough to predict, for me at least." It could be a fast year, too, as the course is snow free and unaffected by wildfires.

Race day, Finkel will contend with Boulder, Colorado’s Darcy Africa, who placed second behind her at both the 2011 and 2010 edition of Hardrock. Africa most recently won Wyoming’s Bighorn 100 Mile in June. Fellow Boulder Resident Krissy Moehl, who finished fourth at the Western States 100 in June and was the last woman to win Hardrock before Finkel, will also toe the line.

“I go into Hardrock with the goal of running my own race,” Finkel says. “It’s the only way I know how to get through. It’s a long day. We all go through lulls and highs and I just try to ride the waves.”